Who’s been invited to Donald Trump’s inauguration?

The inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States will take place on Monday, January 20, at the Capitol in Washington D.C. This historic ceremony, which takes place every four years, has on its guest list key figures in world politics, as well as businessmen seeking to gain favor with the new commander-in-chief, and celebrities who have supported him and share his vision for the future of the country.

Trump will follow presidential protocol and will take the oath of office at noon, followed by his inaugural address. Below is the list of guests who could make an appearance during the event.

Guests

World leaders

• Giorgia Meloni (Prime Minister of Italy): she met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and was praised by him for being a “fantastic woman.” She is known for her populist and conservative stance, which coincides with Trump’s political ideology.
• Javier Milei (President of Argentina): was the first foreign leader to meet with Trump after his election victory in 2024. He shares a strong populist approach and has expressed admiration for Trump’s leadership style.
• Nayib Bukele (president of El Salvador): Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. attended Bukele’s inauguration, and he will now attend Trump’s second inauguration. Bukele shares a similar right-wing perspective with Trump.
• S. Jaishankar (India’s foreign minister): was invited as part of a diplomatic outreach to key U.S. allies, reflecting Trump’s interest in strengthening international alliances.
• Takeshi Iwaya (Japan’s foreign minister): the purpose of inviting Iwaya is to strengthen U.S.-Japan relations under the Trump administration.
• Viktor Orban (Prime Minister of Hungary): is a close ally of Trump, often seen as a political inspiration to him. Orban’s nationalist and anti-immigration policies resonate with Trump’s agenda.
• Nigel Farage (UK politician): has been a long-time Trump ally, supported his policies and campaigns. Farage has frequently appeared at Trump rallies and events, and is one of his key international supporters.
• Eric Zemmour (politician from France): was invited because of his right-wing populist views shared with Trump. Zemmour’s anti-immigration stance and nationalist rhetoric coincide with Trump.

Celebrities

• Carrie Underwood: she is the country music singer who will perform at Trump’s inauguration. Her participation is a major victory for the Republican’s team, which had difficulty securing a well-known artist to perform in 2017.
• Village People: the 1970s disco band, known for its song YMCA, became Trump’s campaign anthem.
• Lee Greenwood: Trump’s favorite conservative singer for his patriotic song God Bless the USA, which has become a staple at Trump events.
• Christopher Macchio: Opera tenor who performed at previous Trump events.
• Waka Flocka Flame: the Atlanta native rapper known for his track O Let’s Do It will also perform.
• Fivio Foreign: the New York native rapper is part of the diverse lineup for the Legacy of Freedom Ball.
• Anton Daniels: YouTube personality who identifies as an entrepreneur.
• Antonio Brown: former NFL player and public Trump supporter.
• Kid Rock: musician who is a strong Trump supporter and performed at his campaign rallies.
• Hulk Hogan: the famous professional wrestler has publicly supported Trump.
• Sylvester Stallone: the celebrated actor attended Trump’s rallies and supported his policies. Recently, Trump announced that Stallone, Mel Gibson and Jon Voight would be his ambassadors in Hollywood.

Business leaders

• Elon Musk: one of Trump’s biggest campaign donors and named government efficiency czar by Trump, a position that does not yet officially exist. The billionaire entrepreneur, owner of Tesla, X and SpaceX, has remained close to the new president since he won the election.
• Mark Zuckerberg: the entrepreneurial founder of Facebook has aligned free speech policies of the company Meta with the Trump administration, which he has praised recently.
• Jeff Bezos: the founder of Amazon was a donor to the inauguration fund, with the aim of strengthening ties with Trump.
• Sam Altman: the CEO of OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company, also donated to Trump’s inauguration fund, with the purpose of strengthening ties.
• Tim Cook: Apple’s CEO was also a donor to the inauguration fund. His attendance and that of other Silicon Valley entrepreneurs show the tech industry’s inclination towards Trump.

Former Presidents

• Bill Clinton: attends as part of the tradition of participation of former presidents. His presence maintains the ceremonial unity expected at this type of event.
• George W. Bush: the only Republican former president to attend the ceremony.
• Barack Obama: continues the tradition despite his political differences with Trump. His attendance reflects a commitment to peaceful transitions of power, which Trump did not respect when he lost the 2020 election.
• Joe Biden: the current president attends the inauguration of his successor.
• Spouses of former presidents traditionally attend the ceremony, however, Michelle Obama declined to do so without explanation.

Not confirmed

• Xi Jinping (leader of China): was invited as part of Trump’s strategy to attract potential adversaries, even though he has made multiple negative comments towards China.
• Benjamin Netanyahu (Prime Minister of Israel): was invited due to strong U.S.-Israel relations during Trump’s previous term. He has not confirmed his attendance.
• Volodymir Zelenski (president of Ukraine): unlikely to attend due to the war with Russia.

Will not attend

• Jair Bolsonaro (former president of Brazil): has publicly expressed his support for Trump, however, Brazilian authorities denied him permission to travel due to the criminal proceedings he faces for alleged involvement in a plot to keep him in power after the 2022 elections.